2017 Budget requests due March 15

Advent blessings to you in this season of anticipation of the gifts that God will bring. We give thanks for the many people who give their time and talent to serving God through the agencies of the United Methodist Church.

As we strive to fulfill God's call we lift up the mission and vision of the New England Conference, as affirmed in the Strategic Plan approved June 2014. This year has been a transition year to recruit leadership and to implement the strategies of that plan. By next June we anticipate a wonderful slate of leadership for the next quadrennium who will carry forth the critical values and objectives of that plan.

In order to prepare to fund the mission, we need to begin now to anticipate the expected costs. We encourage you to take a look at the Strategic Plan as you consider your budget needs, paying careful attention to how your programs and plans connect with our shared vision, mission and strategic initiatives, and to assess the resources needed to ensure that we are aligning our resources with our mission.

Toward that end, we suggest the following questions as a guide for conversation in your committee and ask that you share the results as part of your budget requests for 2017.

How your activities create missional value for the Conference: how do they equip, connect and/or support; how do they impact local, regional and/or global ministries; evidence of transformation and fruitfulness.

The methods you use to determine or measure that missional value.

Your budget request for 2017, and the purposes for which it will be used.

All requests will be reviewed by the Connectional Table before considered by the CFA.

In accordance with our conference policy, please submit your responses no later than March 15, 2016, so that we can use these in setting budget recommendations for 2017.

If you have questions about this, you are welcome to contact Rev. Ralph W. Howe, chair of CCFA, at (413) 499-0866 or howerw3@gmail.com.